Welcome New Ragnarokers: Jamie Stralka, Matt Clark, Joe Martin, Molly Martin, Dan Wren, Wyatt Wren!
Joe Martin, 43, aka "Chili Pepper", Tacoma WA native but now living the good life in Redmond, WA.
Years Racing: 12 years
Mountain Bike Category: Expert
Cyclocross Category: Masters 3
Favorite get psyched to race song: Bad Day by Daniel Powter
Favoarite off-bike activity: Nerding around on my computers
Favorite New Belgium Beer or any beverage that you enjoy: 2° Below
Random Notes: Joe races so Joe can eat…lots and lots!
Molly Martin, whose age is either 10 ½ or 42 depending on your view, is originally from Macon, GA but (lucky for us) moved to WA at age 4. She is living the good life with Joe in Redmond these days.
Years Racing: Just starting her third year of racing
Mountain Bike Race Category: Expert Race
Cyclocross Race Category: Cat 3
Favorite off-bike activity: Snuggling with her dog or riding her horse
Favorite get psyched to race song: Bad Day by Daniel Powter
Fav orite New Belgium Beer: Other Beverage in Molly's case: Barqs root BEER
Random notes: Molly races so her husbands recounting of the course on the drive home actually makes sense to her. Molly's goal in 2010 is to get closer to the fast Expert girls in Mt biking and to upgrade in Cross. She joined Ragnarok because she looks good in Pink and wanted to be called a Ragnahottie.
Elizabeth Salvo, 48, originally from Needham, MA now a Bellevue, WA resident
Years Racing: racing mtb since 2003 and raced on the road from 2002 to 2004
Mountain Bike Race Class: Single Speed
Cyclocross Race Class: Masters or 3s
Favorite Off-Bike Activity: Skiing with my kids
Favorite Pre-Race Get Psyched Song or Band: Ummmm…..don’t have one.
Favorite New Belgium Beer: Two Below
Random Notes: “I love racing because I am concentrating so hard on not falling off of my bicycle that I never realize that I am actually exercising!”
Leroi Smith, aka “The King”, Olympia, WA native but Seattle, WA resident.
Years Racing: When Leroi was in middle school he and his best friend used to race BMX bikes between their houses (about 6 miles). They’d each start at the same time (by ending a phone call), using the same route and see where they met. Perhaps that's why Leroi has an aversion to single-speeds. He returned to his racing roots nine years ago when he started racing mountain bikes.
Mountain Bike Race Class: Expert 35-45 i
Cyclocross Race Class: Master B 35+
Favorite off-bike activity: If there is fresh powder you’ll find Leroi snowboarding on some unnamed (well named by him) run semi-inbounds at any number of ski areas in the greater northwest. If there is no snow and there is good breeze, then look for him out sailing small boats. If there is no snow, no wind and no biking, his favorite activity is sitting on his ass in front of the TV.
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Favorite pre-race get-psyched band: System of a Down. According to Leroi, “if that can't get your blood flowing, you should see a doctor.”
Favorite New Belgium beer: Leroi provides us a tried and true cliche; “the one in my hand is my favorite.” If he had to choose he enjoys Skinny Dip in the summer, gravitating to 1554 or Abbey as the temperature comes down. Although he’s heard they have some new brews out that he’s yet to try. Perhaps a new favorite will be revealed this year?
Random Notes: “I love cyclocross for two reasons:
1) Where else can you experience so much sweet pain, frustration, exhilaration, sweet pain, exhaustion, elation, sweet pain, camaraderie and brutality all in the span of 45 minutes?
2) The community of 'crossers is so much fun to hang around.”
Tom Phillips aka “Chopper”, 48, an Oregon transplant but long time Seattlite
Years Racing: 10
Mountain Bike Race Class: Expert
Cyclocross Race Class: Master A
Favorite Off-Bike Activity: Lounging in the Fat-Boy
Favorite Pre-Race Get Psyched Song or Band: AC/DC
Favorite New Belgium Beer: Mothership Wit
Ross Copeland, 41, Our international team member: Originally from Sanquhar Scotland, now a Seattlite.
Mountain Bike Race Class: Expert
Cyclocross Race Class: Cat 3 Masters
Favorite off bike activity: Ross enjoys quiet nights by the fire with his dogs and a book also exploring the pacific northwest
Pre-race song: Remind-Orbital or open up-Leftfield
Favorite New Belgium beer: All of them.
Random Notes: “I ride because it keeps me off the rum and is safer than under water knifefighting. My fav course is Winthrop my fav Ragnaroker is Padden (the dog) .I think I prefer Cyclocross over Mountain (still trying to decide)”
Kristen Crupi, 42 (but her brain thinks she’s 25 and she’s not ready to disabuse it of that notion), born in Appleton, WI but fully transformed to a Seattlite.
Years Racing: 7
Mountain Bike Race Class: Sport
Cyclocross Race Class: Master Women / Cat 3
Favorite Off-Bike Activity: Jumping out of airplanes (they are not perfectly good)
Favorite Pre-Race Get Psyched Song or Band: She couldn’t pick just one... some of my favorites... Lose Yourself (Eminem), Liberate (Disturbed), Guerilla Radio (Rage Against the Machine), and almost anything by System of a Down
Favorite New Belgium Beer: In the winter, it's gotta be 2 Below, but I love me a Skinny Dip in the summer.
Lisa Miller, aka Cookie, 41, an Oregon transplant but true-blue Seattlite by now.
Home Town Salem, Oregon – also the home of the state Capital, Jon Heder (Napolian Dynomite) – he was Lisa’s neighbor and his Dad her family doctor, and Jerry Brudos (serial killer) – grew up next door to my mother and took my aunt out on a date, known for keeping the breasts of his victims in the refer.
Years Racing: 1 year really racing, but 8 years riding as fast as she can around a marked course
Mountain Bike Race Class: Expert
Cyclocross Race Class: Cat 3, where my a$$ will be handed to me
Favorite Off-Bike Activity: Besides the bike, Lisa loves to run, cross country ski, and spend time with her super cool book club. Sitting on the front porch with a bottle of wine watching the cyclist ride by is pretty high on the list too.
Favorite Pre-Race Get Psyched Song or Band: Born to Be Alive by Patrick Hernandez
Favorite New Belgium Beer: Mothership Wit – as described on the BeerAdvocate: “Very pale, light straw color, fairly cloudy but still lets a lot of light through. Puffy head with good retention and lacing” – “no wonder I like it – IT IS ME! And did I mention it’s organic?”
Random Notes: “I love my team because being on Ragnarök is like going back to high school; we are all wearing spandex and it doesn’t matter if you have crappy hair because so does everyone else – there is safety and comfort in numbers. And it never fails after a hard race a trusty teammate will be at the finish with a frosty New Belgium beer as my reward.
Doug Graver, 45, Snohomish, WA
Years Racing: 16
Mountain Bike Race Class: Expert (single speed for the last two seasons)
Cyclocross Race Class: Master’s 1/2 40-44
Favorite Off-Bike Activity: Elk hunting with bow and drinking beer.
Favorite Pre-Race Get Psyched Song or Band: Pretty much any song by TOOL
Favorite New Belgium Beer: Doug is partial to TRIPEL aka three sisters
Random Notes:“I’m a dad first and a small business owner too. Nothing that comes easy means as much as those things I have to work hard for, hence the reason I race bikes.
People always mix me up with Tom while racing. I only introduce myself as Tom when I’ve pulled a doinker move and crashed in front of a stranger. I wonder if any of them yell “go Doug” when he rides by?
I’ve been told I look like Lance Armstrong. I wish I were half as fast!
I’m the only original member of Ragnarok racing left. This is a great team with a zest for life and racing. Cheers!”
Paul Berkshire, 49, Port Townsend, WA
Years Racing: 5
Mountain Bike Race Class: Sport 45+
Cyclocross Race Class: Master 3 45+
Random Notes: “My strategy in racing is to start fast and kick and claw my way to the rear. I look forward to carpooling with Dan and Randy to the AARP meetings in a couple of years.”
Nikole Rock, 39, Originally from Coco Solo, Panama but another Seattlite on the team
Years Racing: 4
Mountain Bike Race Class: Sport
Cyclocross Race Class: Women 4
Favorite Off-Bike Activity: Nikole digs digging in the dirt and making things grow, She likes picking up rocks wherever she goes and making something out of nothing.. and she LOVEs to check out the world w/ my best dog friend Finn.
Favorite Pre-Race Get Psyched Song or Band: Brick House
Favorite New Belgium Beer: Can there really be only one?
Random Notes: “Thank God for Ragnarok - the best beer drinking.. I mean bike racing bunch of people I've ever met.”
Scott Keiper, 37, originally from Evergreen, CO but (you guessed it) now a Seattle resident.
Years Racing: damm near half of them
Mountain Bike Race Class: Expert
Cyclocross Race Class: Thriller 3
Favorite Off-Bike Activity: food, beer, skiing, technology, photos
Favorite Pre-Race Get Psyched Song or Band: most songs by Social D and Tubthumping of course.
Favorite New Belgium Beer: Full..okay Trel
Mike Rolcik, aka “The Boy”, 40, Kirkland, WA
Years racing: 11
Mountain Bike Race Class: Expert
Cyclocross class: Master 1/2 and Singlespeed
Favorite off bike activity: Jazzercise
Favorite pre race band: Slayer
Favorite New Belgium Beer: Abbey
Random Notes: “I feel that I lead by example. I’m so fast that other people try to be like me and be fast. And although they’ll never be as fast as me, at least they try and that makes them better.”
Rich Blanco, aka Richie Rich, aka El Diablo Blanco, aka Whitey, 42, Olympia, WA
Years Racing: 16
Mountain Bike Race Class: Expert
Cyclocross Class: Master 1-2
Favorite off-bike activity: hiking, snowshoeing and hanging with my dog and my Debbie
Favorite pre race band or song: Crystal Method, Chemical Brothers, other club music
Favorite New Belgium Beer: Two Below
Random Notes: “Even though I will ultimately fail at this, my life goal is to be half the man Mike Rolcik is.”
Debbie Driver, aka Double D, 40, Olympia, WA
Years Racing: 6
Mountain Bike Race Class: Sport
Cyclocross Class: Women 3 (but barely)
Favorite off-bike activity: hiking, snowshoeing and hanging with my dog and my Richie. Also reading and hanging with my awesome nieces and nephew.
Favorite pre-race band or song: “Disco Science” by Mirwais (seen Snatch? Then you’ll know this), Chemical Bros, Fat Boy Slim
Favorite New Belgium Beer: Two Below
Random Notes: “My family and non-cycling friends think I’m nuts for doing Cyclocross. Luckily, everyone on Ragnarok is a bit nutty so I think I fit in just fine.”
Keith Dilly
Melissa "Mo" Moffett, 39, Seattle, WA
Mtn Bike Category: SPORT
Cross Cateogory: Most likely Master's Women 3
Favorite get psyched to race song: Blister in the Sun (Violent Femmes) and Paper Planes (MIA)
Favorite New Belgium beer: Mo asked that I choose one for her. I imagine that is because there are just too many good ones to choose from. We'll just say, it's all good!
Random Notes: Mo started racing cross because it looked fun and thought it might be easier on the knees than running. Little did she realize she was signing up for a different kind of running- the kind where you run, uphill, carrying your bike!
Sean Hefflen
Randy Iddings
Matt Clark
TEAM DOGS WOOF!
Porter
Murphy, aka Commander
Sadie and Pete (Ross's cool pups)
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